The idea of “hip-hop chess” might leave some with a puzzled head scratch. But for veteran hip-hop journalist, certified chess geek and Hip-Hop Chess Federation founder Adisa Banjoko, the marriage of the two seemingly disparate worlds was never a question.
Rappers have always used chess as a metaphor, Banjoko said, be it political, like Public Enemy’s Chuck D on “Rebel Without a Pause” (“No matter what the name, we’re all the same pieces in one big chess game”) or a metaphor for street life, like 50 Cent on “Piggy Bank” (“This is chess not checkers, these are warning shots / After your next move, I’ll give you what I got”).
Even rap mogul Jay-Z acknowledged the importance of chess, noting in his 2010 autobiography, “Decoded”: “My pop taught me chess, but more than that, he taught me that life was like a giant chessboard where you had to be completely aware in the moment, but also thinking a few moves ahead.” READ FULL STORY ....
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